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Where Does Solar Energy Come From?

Solar energy is making a big impact today. In the world we live, we have put major strain on natural resources. But, there is a renewable energy source, which is becoming a viable source to meet the needs of humanity, it is called solar energy. But, where does solar energy come from?

Imagine a home that is powered by a residential solar energy system. This home has electric 24 hours a day. You could watch TV all day, keep all the lights on, and not have to worry about an electric bill! So, how does this work? Where does solar energy come from?

In discovering where does solar energy come from, let us consider that we are in that solar powered home. Imagine for a moment that you want to watch TV. You press the televisions power button. Instantly like magic the TV comes to life. It comes on exactly as it would in a home powered by conventionally produced energy.

This energy is in the form of electric. It doesn't matter whether it is from solar power, fossil fuels or even nuclear power. It is all the same - electric. The electric in residential solar energy systems doesn't come from an external power station situated on Earth though. It gets more interesting!

The electric had to come from somewhere, and as we trace back, we find that the electric in the TV came from batteries. These are loads of batteries that hold onto this solar power, which we will come to in a moment.

A battery is like a cupboard. It holds things; most importantly it holds energy in the form of electric. This is important as we will see in a moment, as this source is not a 24 hour power, so we need a way to store it. Batteries make this possible, but where did this solar energy come from?

As we travel further, perhaps to the roof of the residential solar energy powered home or even somewhere else on the property, we will find solar panels. Solar panels are amazing gadgets, as they do something amazing.

Solar panels have a big area. They convert something into electric. But, how did they do this? Light is needed. And solar panels ingeniously convert light into electric. This light comes from a very big power station. In the case of Earth, this power is from our very own Sun.

The Sun is like a humongous power station that constantly does a reaction that lets out light. This light beams to Earth, and a solar powered home can make use of this to create electric around the home. It is truly marvelous, and is going to the basics that most of life on Earth uses - that is to utilize the power of the Sun. As plants do.

Article Source: http://www.dummiesguideto.com

One day all homes will utilize alternative energy such as solar power in one form or another. Take a sneak peak, and see how residential solar energy systems can even make you money by visiting.

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